6.1.09

CENTURION SELBY

Mark Selby's two centuries in the Championship League yesterday mean he has become the 28th player to have compiled a hundred or more hundred breaks in professional competition.

What makes this remarkable in Selby's case is that just three years ago he hadn't even made 30.

It shows his rapid rate of improvement and helps to explain his rise to fourth in the world rankings.

There was some good snooker played on an interesting first day at Crondon Park. An exceptionally tough group sees Joe Perry, winner of CLS last year, bottom of the table but still able to qualify if he has a better day today.

Stephen Hendry took only two points from three matches so will need to win at least two of his remaining three later today.

Ding Junhui particularly impressesd, as did Selby and they seem certain to qualify for the semi-finals.

Well done to Barry Hawkins, whose partner has just given birth. Barry has withdrawn from group 2 on Wednesday and Thursday and will be replaced by Peter Ebdon.

It has been confirmed that John Higgins and Neil Robertson are among the players coming in later in the CLS season.

The players are in good spirits backstage. There's a nice atmosphere and it's all very relaxed, with nobody feeling they have to watch what they have to say as is sometimes the case at main tour events.

Barry Hearn, boss of Matchroom, paid a visit yesterday fresh from the most succcessful PDC World Darts Championship ticket-wise in history.

He had a few words of comfort for Hendry after he lost 3-1 to Ding: "Don't worry, Stephen. At least you came second!"

No doubt Ebdo is, like the other players in this group, relishing the opportunity to get some match practice with other top players in preperation for the Masters - and also effectively getting paid to get top quality match practice. Peter will be over here early to practice for the Masters in any case, so why not take advantage and participate in the potentially lucrative league!

I think there is something hugely ironic that Hendry is just making up the numbers in an event which is being broadcast on the internet when a decade ago he was at the forefront of the .com 'boom' and a major player in the TNS(?) venture.Must be slightly depressing to see how those who have 'guided' his career got it so wrong – and how Barry has got it even a little bit right.

i dont think it was the Hendry management of the "tns (- lol)" times that got it wrong. on the contrary i think you would find it most of those in World Snooker didnt embrace the idea until it was long gone (possibly due to trust issues) and if those on board WS at the time didnt think there was alterior motives going on then snooker may have moved forward a decade ago. or similar

so, IMO, its not as if they failed. they came up with good ideas and due to issues within the game the situation never grew to what it might have and as times changed and satelite tv has grown there has been much progress within.